There's Nobody Home
by ChokolatePawptarts
Summary: Before becoming a Nobody, Anie was always a cheerful and optimistic girl- not to mention a tomboy. This is a story of a young Keyblade master who puts her joyous light to the test. OCxVentus
1. Introduction

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters. All characters belong to Nomura and Disney. This is only a fan-made story.

Author's note: This is an OC fanfic. Leave now if you don't like that kind of stuff. This story is based off of the latest Kingdom Hearts game: Birth By Sleep. I haven't played the game yet, nor do I know the complete story. If the plot is wrong, then please don't flame me. After all, this is from a perspective of my character… So the plot _will_ be different from the game. Only a few acquaintances/pairings will happen between the characters of BBS and of my own.

Please enjoy my OC story~

"**I can remember it clearly… the day that I promised myself that I'll become a Keyblade master. I never knew… that becoming one would take so much away from me. And yet, I gained so much at the same time. Why then… have I become the non-existent being I am now? What did I do… to deserve this unnecessary life?"**

_It was a clear day in a small town. There were crowds of people lining up against the food stands to get the food they needed to provide their families. Life, then, was pretty rough… but the citizens managed to make the best out of it. Within the crowd was an energetic voice that echoed in between the townspeople. _

"_EXCUSE ME! PARDON ME!" the young voice yelled, running and accidentally bumping into some of the citizens. The town knew very well who this child was—since the town was very small. This little girl… was Anie. "Geez, Anie… can't you rest for one minute?" a woman behind a fruit stand asked, smiling at the ridiculous youngster. "Sorry, Marie… this is an emergency!" the little girl, Anie, replied as she ran past the stand. "…Isn't everything an emergency…?" the woman sighed. "I gotta show this to Lance and the others!" Anie thought aloud, panting as she happily held an old book in her hands. Distracted by her plans, she accidentally bumped into another person- only this time, it wasn't a citizen. "Owie…" Anie replied under her breath as she rubbed her cheek. Doing so, she looked up to see a stranger with a black cloak that covered his face. "…I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to bump into you like that. You see, I'm in a hurry and-"_

"_My, my… You I can see you have such joyous light in your heart." The stranger replied. He had a very deep tone in his voice, though Anie could tell he was pretty old. "…Eh?" Anie replied, tilting her head to the side. "…Tell me, what do you want to be when you grow up?" The man asked, leaning a bit towards the confused girl. Instead of taking a step back, she stepped forward and leaned towards him as well. She formed a huge grin across her young face. "I wanna be a Keyblade master!" The man chuckled rather lowly. Anie flinched slightly, and pouted. "Why are you laughing at me? You think I can't do it?" The man stretched his arms out and gestured them in a way that would express his meaning. "…Now why would you want to be a Keyblade master… of all things possible?" He asked. Anie looked to the side, putting up a thinking face. "Hmm.. oh, that's an easy one! I want to be like the heroes who fought in the Keyblade War! So that I can save all worlds like the one we're in now!" Anie yelled rather enthusiastically. _

_The man chuckled again, and this time crouched down to her level. From Anie's angle, she could see the man's smirk perfectly. "…What if you can't save all the worlds? What if you fail to achieve your goals… Like the many Keyblade masters that died in the Keyblade War?" Anie looked frightened this time. Hearing this, especially if this is to a little girl, would scare her and make her want to change her mind. Though Anie… she was different. She shook her head from side to side and stomped on one foot. "No! I will save all the worlds! And I won't fail doing it! Even if I can't save all the worlds, at least I'll be able to save the ones that I can! So, stop treating me like I can't do it!" Anie yelled. "Hmm… You might be able to wield the Keyblade after all." The man immediately replied, standing back up. "Come to this place when you think you're ready. I'll be more than happy to make you my apprentice." He gave her a small, folded piece of paper. Anie looked down at it, and a smile grew upon her pink lips. _

"_Wait a minute… you really mean it?" Anie asked, her cerulean eyes glittering. "Huh…? Where'd you…?" The girl's eyes widened… seeing that the man suddenly disappeared. "Wow.. now I really gotta show this to my friends!" Anie ran down the street to reach her destination. _

_Another day, another great story to tell. Anie was quite lucky to find someone who would believe in her dream. Others disapproved or didn't believe her. _

_What they didn't know was that she held a powerful light within her that not many people have. She was one of the children who had the light that still glimmers within her heart._

"I'm pretty sure… This is where he meant." A young, feminine voice said as her beige boots stomped onto the dirt ground. There stood a teenage girl. She had a navy blue mane with flipped spikes on the back of her head and her outfit was merely a short-sleeved sweater with black tight shorts. Her big, teal optics looked to the distance as her brows furrowed in determination. The place before her was a huge castle in a world called 'The Land of Departure'.

_Anie_… was ready to take on the challenge of her life.

"Let's see here… Does this paper even say his name?" Anie raised a brow as she quickly scanned through both sides of the small piece of paper. Although it was practically crumpled up from years of keeping it safe, Anie was still able to read what it said. "Meh… what the heck. I guess I'll just have to go in." From the paper she looked back onto the castle. "It's not like… I'm _not_ really invited here." She shrugged and continued on towards the castle.

"…Now, how to get in…" She thought aloud, examining the huge wooden door. Her teal optics looked at it up and down as she tried to find a way to open it without making such a huge sound. "Geez… Why didn't this guy tell me if I had to enter through this big-ass door…?" Anie scratched the back of her head. She let out a long sigh and decided to return later until someone opened it. Meanwhile, she began to walk around the castle. Maybe she can find a secret entrance or something. Luckily, she was able to find a small trail between redwood-like trees that lead to the back of the castle. She entered it and was astounded as to what was awaiting for her on the other side. Once she arrived to the back of the castle, it was practically a garden everywhere. A positive smile radiated off of her teenage face. "Whoa… This place… It's… It's amazing!" She spoke aloud, chuckling as she twirled around in circles to get a 360 degree look of the place. Just seeing this part of the castle made her think that her time training here might be more than just the experience.

"Aha… Look at all these flowers!" She exclaimed enthusiastically. Her eyes spotted a very colorful part of the area and ran happily towards it. Usually, she wouldn't be very exhilarated to see flowers- since she considered herself a total tomboy. But there was something about this place that made her so excited. Even for the 'girly' things. Anie bent down in front of the flower garden and started to sniff the exotic flowers' strong fragrance. She closed her eyes as well as forming a light smile. "This is so awesome…"

"Hey… Excuse me?" A voice asked, who seemed close to her. Anie's eyes widened as she heard the voice. This voice seemed to have belonged to a boy, maybe around Anie's age. He didn't seem to ask in a rude way, as well as not being very demanding. He sounded… kind. Realizing that it was a boy, Anie's cheeks quickly turned into a shade of pink that matched one of the flowers. She slowly turned, to see a boy squatting beside her. The boy had a dirty blonde, spikey hair as well the most cerulean eyes Anie had ever seen. He had the most curious look on his face. "…Who.. are you?" He asked, tilting his head to the side a bit. "…Are you even supposed to be here?" He looked around the area to see if anyone else was on the property.

"I… I'm Anie. I came here… to see a man who will train me to become a Keyblade master." Anie hesitantly answered, quickly looking back at the flowers.

"Huh? You mean Master Eraqus? Or… Maybe that other guy? What's his name again… oh, Master Xehanort?"

"There's two Keyblade masters?" Anie eagerly turned towards the boy again.

"Uh… Yeah. You were looking for one of them, right?"

"Yeah… that's the whole reason why I came all the way here."

" 'All the way here' ? You mean, you travelled from a different world?" The boy sounded like he was interested. As if he had never been to another world other than this one.

"Yeah… Actually, I came from a small town. But… anyway, enough about me. What's your name?" Anie asked, smiling lightly.

"Oh… Haha. Sorry… I didn't introduce myself properly. I'm Ventus."

"Ven…tus. Hmmm… Like the wind, right?" Anie raised a brow as her smile slowly turned into a grin.

"Yeah. Haha… How'd you know that?"

"Let's say I'm a bookworm…" Anie chuckled. Ventus soon followed Anie and the two began to laugh.

"So… Wanna head over inside, Anie?" Ventus asked, smiling gently.

"Are you sure? I mean… What if… that Master Eraqus guy doesn't want any visitors.." Anie pouted.

"Uhh… Well, I'm sure he doesn't mind. Especially since you want to become a Keyblade Master, right?"

"True…" Anie shrugged, and then let out a long sigh.

Ventus stood up and held out his hand to Anie. She looked at the hand, and then back at him. From the angle she was sitting, Ventus looked as if he was glowing. Especially since he was standing right in front of the afternoon sun. He smiled. Her eyes glistened by his radiant kindness.

"Well, then… Let's go inside?"

"Y-Yeah…" Anie gently puts her hand on his, then taking on a firm grip. The moment he pulled her up was the moment she knew that the friendship between two cheerful spirits would soon grow into a inseparable one.


	2. First Meeting of a Master

"**From the time I met Ven, he was the first person to accept me as a Keyblade master. Obviously, I wasn't one yet… but he treated me as if I were to become one. Like… he believed in me. That was one of the things I liked about him. He had **_**faith**_** in me."**

Anie followed Ventus towards the back of the castle. After walking through some twisted paths surrounded by many trees and bushes, they finally ended up to the back door. Although the front door was huge, the back door was just as big. Seeing this, made Anie's cerulean hues widen in astonishment.

"Are all the doors like this?" She practically yelled and pointed at the door.

"What? Haha! No!" Ventus replied with a chuckle. "Don't worry. The first time I came here, I thought the exact same thing." He scratched the back of his head and continued to laugh.

"…Psh. You probably didn't freak out like I did…" Anie mumbled.

"What was that?" He asked before opening the door.

"N-Nothing! Absolutely nothing…"

"Okaaaay then." He replied sarcastically and opened the door. Taking a peek inside the castle, Anie's jaws dropped wide open to see the huge hallway with the shiny porcelain walls and floor. Once she entered the castle she felt an overwhelming excitement running through veins. As Ventus noticed this, he grinned and laughed more.

"Neat castle, huh?"

"Are you kidding? This is one HELL of a castle!" Anie's loud voice echoed down the hall. Once she noticed this, she quickly covered her mouth and blushed with embarrassment. "S-Sorry…" she whispered as she averted her gaze away from Ventus'.

"….Pfffftt…!" Ventus tried to contain is laugh and soon covered his mouth.

"H-Hey… That's not funny! Jeez… I'm so obnoxious…" She replied with a frown.

"Come on… You're not obnoxious! You just have a lot of spirit, that's all." He grinned and lightly patted her shoulder. "After all, there's no such thing as being _too_ excited." Ventus smiled gently, reassuring her that her hyper personality is okay.

"…I… I guess you're right." Anie smiled softly as her cheeks were tinted with a rosy color.

Anie soon followed Ventus down the hall. She tried to keep her comments to herself as she was astonished with the decorations and the simplistic details to the white walls. After a few turns here and there, they finally reached to their destination. Only a huge wooden door separated them from the Keyblade mentor that Anie seeked for years. She looked at the door up to down and gulped.

"You're gonna be alright. Trust me." Ventus reassured her with a small smile.

"Gah… I sure hope so…" Anie looked at him with worried eyes.

Ventus then opened the huge door. Anie peaked inside again. "Whoa…" She was surprised to see that the room wasn't white like the halls were. It actually had some color in it, especially the circular stain glass window that was across the room. But in front of that stain glass window were two huge chairs fit for a king- well, almost like a king. Both Anie and Ventus entered the giant room as they looked for this Master Eraqus. Not too long after, there stood a man with his back turned as he viewed the stain glass window.

"Ah, Master Eraqus!" Ventus' voice echoed across the room. Soon the man turned around to see that Ventus was walking towards him.

"What is it, Ventus?" He asked, then looking at Anie. "…Who is she?" He asked.

"M-My name is Anie." She replied and stepped forward with a light smile on her face.

"…What is your purpose here?"

"I… I received this note when I was a little girl. A man gave it to me and told me to go here when I was ready…"

"…Ready for what?"

Anie lowered her head and paused for a few moments. Then, she looked up with furrowed brows and determination in her cerulean eyes. "Ready to train as a _true_ Keyblade wielder."

Both Ventus and Master Eraqus looked at Anie with both astonishment in their eyes and also impressed by her positive attitude. Though, it also surprised Ventus and Anie when Master Eraqus started laughing.

"Can you really become a true Keyblade wielder?" He asked her.

"Why does everyone think I can't do it? Of COURSE I can become a true Keyblade wielder. And I BELIEVE I _can_ become a Keyblade Master." Anie yelled, stomping her foot on the ground.

"Why do you _want_ to become a Keyblade Master?" He asked again, raising a brow as well as giving a smirk.

"I… I wanna do as much as I can to save all the worlds. Lately I've been seeing these creatures attacking people. I wanna help, and I don't wanna leave my small town unprotected. I want to do everything I can to make sure that those creatures don't hurt anyone anymore." Her voice changed to a unwavering one. It only impressed Master Eraqus even more.

"Alright then… If you think you can become a Keyblade wielder, I want you to fight and defeat Ventus in a dual." Master Eraqus ordered as he pointed towards the center of the room.

"What?" Both Anie and Ventus yelled in shock.

"B-But I don't even have a Keyblade!" Anie yelled.

"If you want to become a Keyblade wielder, you must do what you must to fight what your heart tells you to do."

"My… Heart…" She placed her hand on her chest and thought about what Master Eraqus was trying to say. "Doesn't Ventus have a Keyblade already? Wouldn't that be kinda unfair?" She yelled again.

"He doesn't. He's on the same level as you."

"…What?"

"Now, you two, fight!" Just as he was told, Ventus went to the middle of the room in his fighting stance. Anie hesitantly followed after Ventus and stood in her own fighting stance.

"I won't go easy on you, Anie. You're not the only one who wants to become a Keyblade master." Ventus smirked.

"I'd love to say the same thing to you. Better brace yourself! I'm a pretty bad-ass fighter!" She smirked back.

Author's Note: Sorry for making this chapter smaller! ;; I wanted it to lead into the actual fighting scene, which I think will be pretty longer than this one. Hope you enjoyed it! And thank you for the nice reviews/story faves/etc! -inserts gallons of love here- !


	3. Fight! Ventus VS Anie!

"**At first, I thought Master Eraqus was **_**crazy**_** to let me and Ven fight. I mean, I could fight… But just to prove that I am worthy of becoming a Keyblade wielder? That's pretty stupid… At least, I **_**thought**_** it was. His methods still make no sense to me 'til this day… But it was a pretty bad-ass method, I gotta say."**

Both Anie and Ventus stood in front of each other, ready to fight at any moment. Before either one of them did anything, both nodded to each other with determination in their eyes. They were ready for a fair fight. Anie grinned and sprinted at a speed that no ordinary teenage girl could obtain. She threw a punch towards Ventus, but Ventus was faster. He spinned around Anie and got right behind her. He aimed to kick towards her feet, but Ventus was also not fast enough and Anie flipped backwards and dodged his attack. Now behind Ventus, she threw up a kick towards his neck. Though, Ventus caught her leg and with that, pushed all of her down to the ground.

"_Damn… I didn't expect him to be so fast…_" She thought, panting and helping herself up.

"Is that all you got?" Ventus playfully teased with a smirk. Anie furrowed her brows and stood in her fighting stance again.

"Are you kidding? I'm just getting started!"

This time, Anie sprinted towards Ventus in a side-to-side matter. This was to confuse Ventus and hopefully get a direct hit on him. Before Ventus could do anything, Anie quickly got below him and slid her feet across his'. He finally fell backwards, which made it the perfect opportunity to hit him again. Knowing this would happen, Ventus counterattacked Anie's incoming punch with a forceful shove and pushed her to the side.

"_Hmm… Both of them might specialize in speed, but there's something about this girl that's… different._" Master Eraqus observed, closely watching Anie's attacks.

Anie quickly got herself onto her feet. She stood there and closed her eyes. "What are you doing, Anie? You're just making yourself more open!" Ventus yelled, getting up and quickly running towards Anie. As he was about to throw a punch, Anie vanished in a split second. "Huh…?" Ventus couldn't find out where she disappeared to.

"_Ventus __**is**__ fast… But he can't see…_" Anie's movements were so fast, she barely appeared behind Ventus. She only appeared as a blur for a split second. She hit him on his neck, center of the back, and behind his knees almost all at the same time, which were all of his weak points. "_…How Anie can see people's movements just by using her other senses._"Master Eraqus smirked.

Ventus fell to the ground, unable to move. "A-Aw, man! Did I over-do it again!" Anie freaked out as she realized what she had done. She ran towards Ventus and kneeled by his side. "Oh my gosh… I'm so sorry Ventus. I didn't mean to go _that_ far…!" She tried to get him up by gently holding his back. "Geez, Anie… You got guts." Ventus chuckled weakly. "A-Ah… Don't pretend you're okay!" Anie frowned. "…I didn't even hit you with my hardest attacks…"

"_What? Her 'hardest attacks'? What does she mean…?_" Master Eraqus continued to observe. He sighed and walked towards Anie and Ventus.

"That was quite a show." He complimented, giving his round of applause.

"Wh-Why are you clapping! Ventus is badly hurt because of me…" Anie looked at Master Eraqus with a pout, then back at Ventus.

"It's alright, Anie. I'll be fine." Ventus looked back at Anie and smiled gently.

"B-But-"

"Don't worry. He _will_ be fine. I'm sure his current state right now will go away in a day, at most." Master Eraqus reassured with a smile. It was the first time Anie saw a smile from a serious-looking man. She sighed.

"Come, now. We'll take him to his room. Then, we will talk about your training." Master Eraqus continued, bending down to pick up Ventus.

"W-Wait… TRAINING? You really mean-" Anie's eyes were suddenly glittering with much excitement.

"Yes. You will train as my apprentice for the time being. Master Xehanort will be visiting us here in about 6 months, so until then you will train with alongside Ventus and my other two apprentices." Master Eraqus picked up the limp Ventus and started walking towards the main corridor. "Well, then… Will you care to follow me?"

"O-Oh, yeah! Of course!" Anie nodded with a big smile on her face. She loyally followed Master Eraqus to the main corridor and ended up in front of a gigantic flight of stairs. "Even the STAIRS are huge!" Anie yelled with astonishment and interest. Her voice echoed throughout the whole castle. Even her loud, spunky personality made Master Eraqus wonder how strong she had gotten to be. "Yes. This _is_ a castle, after all." Master Eraqus replied calmly. "O-Oh… Right. I knew that…" Anie mumbled. Realizing she was being a bit too loud, she slapped her hand on top of her lips so she could be quiet for the time being. She definitely needed to practice her 'lady-like' skills.

Once they finally reached the third floor, Ventus' room wasn't too far from the flight of stairs. They headed straight and after 2-3 doors was Ventus' room. As Master Eraqus opened the door, Anie tried her hardest not to blurt out anything. But as impatient as she was, she let go of her mouth and said, "Wow! This room is better than mine back home!"

Master Eraqus laid Ventus down on his bed. He seemed to be sleeping off the temporary paralysis. "Man, I feel so bad for hurting him like that…" Anie quietly said, walking over to Ventus' bedside. She looked down at his peaceful sleep. He looked so innocent and completely different from when he and Anie were fighting. Anie let out a sigh and pouted her lips.

"It's alright. You only did what you had to do to win your fight. It's what every Keyblade wielder has to do." Master Eraqus walked over beside Anie and looked over at Ventus, too. "The thing is, you have to choose the _right_ way of winning victory. You have to balance your morals and your values."

"What do you mean… My 'morals' and my 'values'?" Anie turned towards Master Eraqus, looking up at him with curiousity.

"When you defeated Ventus earlier, what were you thinking?" Master Eraqus also turned towards Anie and looked at her the same way she did.

"I… I dunno." She looked away and tried to think. What was she thinking? "I guess… I was thinking: If I don't beat Ventus, then my journey here will all be in vain. If I can't become a Keyblade wielder… a Keyblade **master**, then I'd feel useless as a citizen of my small town. But at the same time, I didn't want to severely hurt Ventus. Yet, I did anyway…" Anie shook her head in disappointment.

"That's exactly what you need to work on. Being a Keyblade wielder is not only something that you have to believe in, but it's also a very important and strong job." Master Eraqus paused. He closed his eyes and gently places his hand on Anie's shoulder. "Though, I'm sure you'll be able to improve that. I think I finally know why Master Xehanort wanted you to be his apprentice."

Anie looked back up at Master Eraqus. "It's because… He said something about my heart being full of joy and light. That's a good thing, right?"

"It _is_ a good thing. You will be able to wield the Keyblade easily with that much enthusiasm and persistence." He patted her shoulder before he turned back. "You must believe in yourself, first, before you can achieve anything." He told her. He then walked towards the door and opened it. "Take care of Ventus." He shut the door behind him. Anie glared at the door. She couldn't fully understand what Master Eraqus meant, yet. Though, she believed she could in only a matter of time. She reached her arms into the air with a stretch and a quiet moan. Turning back towards Ventus, she made a fist and showed it to his sleeping being. "When you wake up, you better be OKAY!" She whispered… loudly.

Author's Note: Sorry it took me a while to put this up! ;;;; I was busy with some stuff. But I'm gonna make sure I update this as soon as I can. Your reviews are my most inspiration! And thank you so much for them! I'm also sorry for the short fighting scene… I'm not an 'expert' at describing that stuff. But I'll improve, hopefully~ Thank you, once again!


	4. Bedtime Stories

"**I remember feeling bad about hurting Ven, but I tried to hide it so that he wouldn't worry about me. What made it worse is that I never really understood what Master Eraqus told me… Until now, of course. I only wished I could have used that small, but significant advice sooner."**

Anie waited patiently for Ventus' awakening. She sat on a small stool, her head supported by her hand and then supported by her thigh. It was almost midnight and Anie was already starting to fall asleep. Her head fell forward a few times, but she managed to keep herself awake. Just when she was about to fall asleep again, a familiar voice broke the silence.

"Nn…" Ventus moaned and shuffled his blanket. The sound made Anie completely awake and sitting straight up.

"V-Ventus… Are you awake now?" Anie asked, quickly standing up and looked over at Ventus right by his bedside again.

"Anie…? What are you doing here? In… My room?" He asked, his voice hoarse from his long nap.

"Well, Master Eraqus told me that I had to take care of you. So, here I am." Anie laughed lightly with a shrug and sat back down on the stool. Before Ventus spoke, he cleared his throat and sat up on his bed.

"Heh, really? Well… I do feel a lot better now." He moved his arms, making sure they were working properly.

"That's probably because you took a long-ass nap!" Anie teased, leaning forward towards Ventus and laughed loudly.

"Haha! Hey… Shut up! If I didn't take that nap, I wouldn't be moving like this!" He laughed and attempted to playfully punch Anie's arm, but Anie moved away. Both of them laughed.

"Hey…! Guess what? Master Eraqus officially made me one of his apprentices! Well, for now… But still…!" Anie told Ventus with a huge grin on her face.

"Really? That's great! You'll be training with me and my friends!" Ventus happily smiled back. Curious, Anie tilted her head and asked, "Friends? Who are they?"

"Terra and Aqua. They're about to take their Keyblade Master Qualification exam soon. I think when Master Xehanort will come and visit…"

"In 6 months, right?"

"Yeah… How did you know that?"

"Master Eraqus told me. But, he never mentioned about a 'Keyblade Master Qualification's exam'. Are you gonna take yours along with... Terra and Aqua?" Anie asked, tilting her head to the other side.

"Nah. I just started training, like you." Ventus shrugged. He then yawned and laid back on his bed. Anie looked down at her boots and swayed them around.

"…Say, Anie." Ventus interrupted the silence.

"Hmm? What is it, Ventus?" She immediately looked back at him.

"One, you can just call me 'Ven'. My friends call me that." Ventus chuckled, and then continued. "Two… Have you travelled to any other worlds? Besides this one and your own world?" He turned his head towards Anie. He had a serious, but interested look on his face. Anie blinked a few times and scratched the back of her head.

"No… Unfortunately. Buuuut… You know what we should do? When we have the chance, we should travel to each world! Along with your friends! It'll be like a grand adventure!" Anie grinned, leaning back on the stool and looked at the ceiling. "And along the way, we can kick some ass with our new skills. Just us…"

"…What are you trying to say?" Ventus asked, glaring at Anie with even more interest.

"Hm? Nothing." She shrugged in reply and leaned forward again. "It's just a nice thought having friends who you would want to have an adventure with." She smiled softly, and then slowly frowned. "You're lucky you have friends, especially at a time like this. Back at my small town… My home, we're going through some tough times. I wouldn't say its poor, but it's also not a very stable place to live in. Though, I can manage. All my friends from when I was a kid… Either disappeared, or I barely see them anymore." Anie paused as she lowered her head. "Most of the time, they would be working hard to support their families. Can you imagine? They're our age and they don't even have time for fun and games. It's sometimes lonely when I have no one to talk to."

"Anie…" Ventus quickly sat up and worriedly looked at her.

"I never knew who my parents were, so I've always lived with my friend and his family. They were so kind… But eventually… It got to the point where they couldn't even keep me anymore. I was on my own after that." She looked down at her fingers and fidgeted with them. Her dark blue locks covered her face, so Ventus wasn't sure if she was crying. Just in case, he quickly crawled over to the side of his bed and sat on the edge where he was closer to Anie.

"Why are you telling me this?" Ventus asked. Anie lifted her head slightly, and then brought it back down.

"Right now… I have no one else back at home who supports me. I'm by myself. I was gonna lose hope, right when I entered this world. I wasn't sure if I was going to be accepted to become a Keyblade Master's apprentice. But…" She brought her head up and looked at Ventus directly in his eyes. Her eyes were filled with such a tough attitude that it surprised Ventus. "…This might sound a little cliché, but when I met you, I felt like I had hope again. Like, I believed that I can achieve my goal of becoming a Keyblade master."

"…Wh-What made you think that?" He asked, hesitantly looking away from Anie's gaze for a moment.

"You… Remind me of myself. The strong, brave self. Just by that, I want to prove to myself that I _can_ and _will_ become a Keyblade Master." She paused again, and then clenched her fists. "From here on out… I won't give up! I won't let anything stop me!" Hearing Anie say this made Ventus smile. That was the girl he knew when they met.

"…Not even your past?" Ventus added with a raised brow. Anie stubbornly stood up from the small stool, making it fall backwards. Although tears could be easily seen from the corners of her glistening teal optics, she proudly grinned over Ventus.

"Hell! That's all before me! I'm gonna focus on the present, not some crappy-ass life I had before!" She sniffed and let the tears stream down her cheek. "That crap isn't gonna keep me behind! I'm gonna go forward, along with you and Terra and Aqua! You hear me…?" She cried, quickly bursting into tears. Not long after, she fell to her knees and covered her wet face with her trembling palms. Ventus slid down his bed and sat right beside her. He gently rubbed her back to comfort her. "D-Don't you underestimate me…! This is tears of joy, dammit!" Anie cried with her shaken voice. Ventus smiled gently. "Heh… Don't worry. I _know_." He continued to rub her back in hopes of her letting all her bottled up feelings out.

Just outside Ventus' door, stood another feminine figure. She had her head close to wooden door as she tried to listen to the conversation.

"What are you doing up this late… Aqua?" A man's voice, not Master Eraqus, echoed down the corridor. The young woman looked back at the corridor; her spiky celestial blue hair flowed with her movements. Down the corridor was a small, candle light that got closer. As it got bigger, so did the masculine figure. It was a young man with also spiky auburn hair.

"Terra…? I should be asking you the same thing…" The young woman known as Aqua whispered with a light chuckle.

"I was a bit worried… I heard someone yelling.. A girl. So I thought it was you." He calmly whispered.

"…And you automatically assume it was _me_?" Aqua pointed at herself with a slight smirk.

"Could have been. You're the only girl here." Terra shrugged.

"No, I'm not. Apparently, there's another girl as Master Eraqus' apprentice." Aqua quietly walked towards Terra and pointed towards the door.

"…Really? Master Eraqus didn't tell us that. How did you know-?" Terra looked at Aqua with a curious glare and noticed her pointed finger. His glare followed Aqua's hand towards the door.

"She's in there, with Ven. It seems like they're getting along… But she also had a pretty tough childhood." Aqua frowned, then dropping her hand by her side.

"…I'm guessing you were eavesdropping again, weren't you?"

"I heard that scream, too. I was… worried about Ven. But it seems like we're worried about the new girl." She lowered her head, her aquamarine optics narrowed.

"…." Terra calmly watched Aqua.

"…I really wonder…Who this new girl is. She seems like someone who is most fitted to support Ven. We won't always be there for him. I'm sure you're also worried about that, right?" Aqua lifted her head and looked towards the door again. Terra followed her gaze and let out a short sigh.

"…We still have 6 months to go… We'll look after him, as well as that girl, until then."

"…I suppose you're right."

"Come on… We should rest for our training tomorrow." Terra walked back into the darkness of the corridor. Aqua watched him for a moment, then looked back at the door.

"…You two should also rest up for your big day." She smiled gently, then quietly followed Terra's small candle light drift off deep into the corridor.


	5. First Day, New Acquaintances

Author's Note: I'm sorry for uploading this really, REALLY late! I had a kind of writer's block. But that's all behind me, for now..And I'm sorry if my chapters aren't really consistent, meaning that a few of my chapters look half-assed. I'm only human and I can't make every chapter so magnificently wonderful and perfect. Also, I've recently been playing Birth By Sleep! It's so much fun! Now I pretty much know the base of my story… Thank you for those who really like my fanfiction~ It means a lot.

"**I couldn't believe it. Once I found out that Master Eraqus has accepted me as his apprentice, I felt nothing but pure happiness. I felt like the first part of my dream was accomplished. I was happy… So happy that I began to cry. Now… I don't even know how to feel the same way. All the feelings that I can describe in my life now… is **_**loneliness**_**."**

The birds chirping echoed through Ventus' window, and the sun seeping its way into the room. On the bed laid Anie in a deep slumber. When the sun finally reaches her eyelids, it awakened her. Slowly opening her teal hues, she quickly noticed that it was already morning. She gasped and sat straight up. Her eyes scoped the room. For a moment she wasn't aware of her surroundings. Not long after, she realized that she was in Ventus' room and frantically searched for him. She pushed herself towards the edge of the bed and heard a light snore from below. Glaring below her, she saw Ventus sleeping peacefully. Blinking a few times, she giggled quietly and watched him for a while.

Though it wasn't long until Anie's stomach growled and echoed throughout the room. "Shh, stomach!" She whispered and held her abdomen. Hearing Ventus moan scared Anie. "See? Look what you did!" Anie cursed and quickly covered her mouth. She watched Ventus slowly waking up. He looked dazed as he opened his eyes. When his narrowed eyes glared directly towards Anie's, she jolted and her cheeks had a rosy tint to them. She gulped loudly.

"…Wow, Anie. You must be really hungry…" He asked with chuckle. Anie's whole face literally became red and she began to freak out. "H-Hey…! I bet you're just as hungry as I am!" Ventus began to laugh completely. The more he did, the more Anie began to freak out with embarrassment. "C-Come on, Ven! It's not that funny! Shut up!"

"Okay, okay… I'll stop. Sorry." Ventus as he cackled. He sat up and grinned towards Anie. "It's just… You're the only person I know who's obnoxiously-" Before he could continue, Anie smacked him on the head with the palm of her hand. "Oww!" He complained, quickly rubbing the bruise underneath his blonde spikes. "Oh, honey, I _know_ I'm obnoxious. And, heeeeell, I'm proud of it!" Anie snickered and stood up. She extended her arms and back as far as she could go. A yawn escaped through her lips and smile formed on her face.

"Hey, aren't you gonna help me up?" Ventus asked weakly, looking up at her with his brows furrowed.

"Why? You have two legs to stand on. Use them!" Anie teased and happily skipped over towards the door.

"Y-You're just gonna leave me here-?" As soon as Ventus got up on his knees, the door closed shut and the room was empty. "Oh thanks a lot, Anie." He commented sarcastically.

Anie walked down the corridor as she tried to look for the bathroom. The corridor was filled with the sun's light and made the walls appear to glow in a cream, polished color. The thing is, every door she came across looked exactly the same. She didn't know which room was which. "_It would really be nice if they made their doors a little more… creative._" As she reached the end of the corridor and right beside the huge staircase, she let out a discouraging sigh. Turning back into the corridor, she decided that the best thing to do was look in every room until she could find the bathroom. So she went, carelessly checking each possible door available with a loud knock. But every time she did, the room turned out to be empty. Reaching towards the last, exhausting door (besides Ventus'), she didn't even bother to knock.

"I swear if this is another dead end, I'm gonna pee in my-" She forcefully opened the door halfway until she realized that there was someone else in the room. She finally found the bathroom… but it was preoccupied by a shirtless, masculine young man. He looked at her calmly as he was about to put on his black turtleneck shirt. Anie, on the other hand, looked back at him so hesitant and embarrassed that her cheeks were of a crimson color.

"O-Oh… I-I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to-!" Anie frantically shook her head side to side, soon to be interrupted by the man. "So, you're the new girl?" He asked. Surprised, Anie looked at him with a perplexed expression on her face. "H-How'd you know that? A-And… Who are you?"

"That's a good question. I'm Terra. And who are _you_?" He replied with a slight smile and continued to fit his head through the neck hole of his shirt.

"I-I'm… Anie…" She replied quietly as she pouted her lips.

"Hmm… Anie. Well, I didn't mean to, but I heard you and Ven talking in his room." Terra walked over beside Anie. Compared to him, she was so small and short. She had to extend her neck up to see his face.

"Good luck on your first day of training." He smirked down to her and continued walking into the corridor.

Anie turned around and let her eyes follow Terra until he went down the giant staircase. She sighed and smiled. "Hm… Not only is he good looking, but he's also very mellow. Like… a marshmallow." She snickered at her own joke and closed the door behind her.

After Anie prepared herself for her big day with a refreshed look to her face, she headed towards the end of the corridor. Just as she was about to enter the stairs, Ventus called out to her.

"Anie!"

Anie could hear his metal-like boots clacking against the porcelain floors. She turned around and grinned.

"So the sleepyhead finally woke up, huh?" She teased and placed her hand on her waist.

"Shut up." Ventus countered back with an embarrassed smile.

"Heh. Well, it's true." She chuckled. "…So today is the day I make my debut as a Keyblade master in training!" She stated enthusiastically, rolling a fist and shaking if confidently in front of Ventus. He chuckled and patted her shoulder.

"I'm sure you'll do great." He encouraged, giving a warm smile. She flinched slightly and quickly averted her shy gaze. "Yeah, yeah… I know." She replied and waved her hand up and down. "Now, let's get some food! I'm STARVING~!" Anie yelled happily and took Ventus' hand. "Ow, ow! Don't pull on my arm too hard, alright?" Ventus yelled back, being dragged towards the stairs.

Once they got to the bottom of the flight of stairs, Anie quickly notices a young woman with spiky celestial blue hair standing in the middle of the corridor. "Hm?" The girl seemed like she was waiting for someone, as she stood with her arms crossed and her head constantly looking back and forth. As Anie was about to make her last step down the stairs, she clumsily tripped on her foot and—_THUMP!_ She fell flat onto the marble floor. Ventus quickly bent down to her side and aided her with the best of his ability.

"Anie! Are you alright? Why'd you fall down like that?" He asked, a bit unsure if he should feel worried for her fall or her own clumsiness.

"Ow… Yeah… Don't worry about me." She replied as she lifted her head to see a patch of redness on the side of her cheek.

"Oh, my." The girl gasped lightly and walked over to Anie with a slight smile on her beautiful features. Ventus quickly looked at the girl and grinned happily. "Hey, Aqua!"

"Mornin' Ven." The girl, Aqua, replied with a simple nod and grin."I see the new girl, aren't you?" Aqua asked and offered Anie a hand.

Anie looked at the hand, then back at Aqua. She has never seen such a beautiful girl such as her—Not that she was interested in _that_ way. But, from Anie could tell, Aqua was a Keyblade wielder in training. It was nice to know that there was another girl who's training under the same Master. "Y-Yeah… How did you know?" She grasped onto Aqua's hand and was pulled up with ease.

"Well, I didn't really mean to, but I overheard your and Ven's conversation last night." Aqua winked hesitantly with a slight smile.

"What?" Both Ventus and Anie yelled in unison. They looked at each other, then quickly looked away. Both of them were faintly blushing with embarrassment.

"Ahahaha! Don't worry, I didn't know what you two were talking about. I just heard a scream from down the hall… I was worried that Ven was hurt or something." Aqua shrugged with a chuckle.

"Hey! I don't scream like a girl! …Or… Do I?" Ventus asked himself, rubbing his chin with the tip of his index finger.

"Well, anyway, we should be heading to the training room." Aqua giggled a bit and gestured towards the corridor.

"B-But.. I didn't eat anything yet." Anie frowned and slumped over as her stomach growled on cue.

"Oh, really? Here you go!" Aqua threw an orange onto Anie's cupped hands. Anie's eyes widened as she looked at the mere orange and then back at Aqua.

"You're giving me this? How am I supposed to train for the day?" Anie yelled and waved the orange around.

"Trust me. That's all you'll need." Aqua replied in a calm tone and started walking into the huge corridor. Ventus quickly stepped beside Anie, looking at the orange and back at her.

"… Are you gonna give me some of that?"

"NO!" Anie threw a huge orange peel directly to Ventus' forehead, leaving him to fall backwards a bit. Managing to catch his balance, he took the orange peel off of his head and watched Anie stomp away as she followed Aqua into the corridor.

"Gosh… _Someone's_ hungry." Ventus sarcastically commented, taking his sweet time walking behind Anie.

After finishing her last bite of the small orange, Anie, Aqua, and Ventus entered a huge room that seemed to have been the training room. It was the same room that Anie and Ventus had to fight in. Anie loudly swallowed her remaining piece of orange and stared at the huge space. Even if she had been here before, it still amazes her about now spacious and beautiful this room is. She grinned excitingly and took a big step into the room. Aqua and Ventus followed and soon noticed Terra standing in front of the stain glassed window. Both of them walked towards him and Anie watched from the sidelines. Both approached him with a big smile on their faces and all of them were giggling to something that Anie couldn't really understand. She watched them… Happy and all. Just like a small family they had created. Anie's light smile soon faded into a slight frown. Her teal hues narrowed and she turned away from them. She lowered her head and looked down to her boots. She felt that she shouldn't interrupt their moment. But at the same time she began to feel _lonely_.

"Anie!"

The name snapped Anie out of her deep thoughts and she quickly turned around to face them again.

"Come over here!" Ventus yelled across the room, motioning his hand for her to come closer. Anie obeyed and walked towards the fellow Keyblade wielders.

"What is it, Ven?" She asked with a confused expression on her face.

"This… Is Terra. The other friend I told you about." Ventus gestured towards the young, masculine man and gave a big grin.

"Oh, hey! You're that guy I met in the bathroom!" Anie unknowingly pointed at Terra with her eyes widened. Terra only nodded and smiled slightly.

"Yup." He merely replied. Feeling the somewhat awkwardness of pointing at him, Anie quickly retracted her hand to the back of her spikey navy blue hair.

"Err… Well, it's nice seeing you again… _Not_ in the bathroom." Anie chuckled lightly and nodded back.

"Anyways, we should probably warm up before the actual training begins." Aqua added, reaching out her hand. She spread her fingers out until a glowing, white orb gathered in the palm of her hand. Then, a beautiful grayish blue Keyblade appeared in her grip. Anie's eyes and mouth widened with such fascination. "Wow…" was all Anie could say. Aqua chuckled at Anie's astonishment, then placed her hand gently on Anie's shoulder. "One day soon, you'll be able to summon your own Keyblade. I just know it." Aqua nodded delightedly. Terra then summoned his own Keyblade, which was much larger and heavy-looking than Aqua's. Seeing the size of this young man, it was pretty predictable that he would wield such a Keyblade as his.

"Ven, Anie. You two should practice fighting." Aqua responsibly ordered, walking towards the center of the training room.

"Alright! C'mon. Let's have a rematch, Anie!" Ventus quickly took his fighting stance in front of Anie. She gave him a smirk and took on her own fighting stance as well.

"Bring it on, Ven!"


	6. Training Time!

Author's Note: In advance, I'm sorry if this chapter is boring! ;; I promise you, it'll get better. ;w; More AnieXVentus to come. Hahaha. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter~.

"**Even though I was new to this whole Keyblade training thing, Ven, Terra and Aqua treated me just like I was already a part of their little group of trainees. It was nice to know that they had already accepted me as a **_**friend**_**… But I was always afraid that they would abandon me one day. It never really occurred to me… Until it had already happened."**

Anie and Ventus stood face to face with each other, both with a smirk on their young faces. Just when Aqua and Terra had just started clashing with each other to a light dual, Anie and Ventus started as well. Ventus was the first to move as he threw a punch towards Anie's face. Only off by an inch, Anie moved her head to the opposite direction and ducked below for an opening. She swiftly brought up her pointed index and middle finger towards Ventus' neck, but also missed by an inch or so. Once she had noticed this, she stepped back and flipped backwards. As she already did so, Ventus was already on the move. He dashed towards her and was ready to throw another punch. She blocked it with a kick from above. As she brought the kick down, she twirled around on the tip of her boot and swirled another kick. Again, Ventus dodged the kick and made way for another opening… And so on.

From the far end of the room, Master Eraqus was watching the mini duals since the beginning. He nodded from time to time, seeing as Terra and Aqua's skills have improved. But he mainly focused on Ventus and Anie. He was observing their fighting styles closely and seemed to have been pleased with their similarities as well as differences in fighting. Both are exceptionally skilled… but one is just a bit more powerful than the other.

"That's enough of the warm ups."

Everyone had stopped the mini duals and turned towards the end of the room. "Master Eraqus, sir." Aqua replied, straightening her posture up followed by Terra and Ventus. Anie was the only one who slouched and just stared between her acquaintances and Master Eraqus.

"…Huh? Where'd you come from?" Anie blurted out, pointing at the Master. Just as she was doing so, all three of them immediately looked at her as if she was crazy or something. "Wh-What? Did I do something wrong?"

"…He's the Master. You should be respectful towards him…" Ventus whispered as he leaned towards Anie.

"Oh… O-Oh! Shoot!" Anie perked up. Instead of standing straight like Ventus and the rest of them were, she bent over and bowed towards Master Eraqus. "Err…S-Sorry, Master Eraqus… sir…"

"There's no need to worry, Anie. You still have a lot of learn while you're staying here." Master Eraqus merely smiled and walked over to Anie to pat her shoulder. She flinched slightly as she felt the light touch and stood back up. "Y-Yeah. Right…" She nodded and gave a slanted smile.

"Terra, Aqua. You two know what to do for today." Master Eraqus took his hand off of Anie's shoulder and looked onto the two older apprentices. Both nodded, and then proceeded to move out of the room and out to the front.

"Anie and Ventus… Come with me." He turned around, signaling Anie and Ventus to obey and follow him. Both nodded too and walked quickly behind him.

"So, what are we doing today… sir?" Anie asked, trying her best to be as polite and respectful as she could.

"I'm going to show you two something that will, hopefully, trigger the light in your heart to summon your own Keyblade." He answered, not even looking back.

"What? Really? Oh boy, I can't wait until I-"

"You should be aware that summoning your Keyblade won't come to you that easily; it _will_ take some time until you will be able to wield the Keyblade." He cut Anie off, and looked back for a slight second.

"A-Aww…" Anie moaned under her breath, and slumped over a bit. Ventus only smiled as he knew the information already.

All three of them walked many flights of stairs, which amused Anie to the fullest extent. Every now and then she would comment on the decorations and the interior design. For a moment, she thought she was being a bit annoying, but Ventus pitched in and told her what each and everything there was to view was. Not one bit has Master Eraqus complained or lectured Anie's curiosity. He actually praised her enthusiasm.

"Here we are." Master Eraqus finally said, gesturing both Ventus and Anie towards a huge wooden door. The door had a huge door knob to go with it, but there was no keyhole to be found.

"…How are we gonna get inside?" Anie blurted her question out again, quickly covering up her mouth. Master Eraqus only chuckled.

"It's okay. We're all Keyblade wielders, right? Well, almost anyway." He paused, looking at the door first, then onto his apprentices again. Anie embarrassedly looked down, some of her navy blue locks covering her blushing cheeks and laughed awkwardly to herself. Ventus laughed lightly and patted her shoulder for comfort.

"Are you two ready?"

"Yes, sir." Both of them answered in unison.

In the palm of this hand, the same orb of light appeared and quickly summoned his Keyblade. Anie's and Ventus' eyes widened to see the quick summoning. The Master pointed the Keyblade towards the door, and just as he did so, a ray of light shot out of the tip of the weapon. It protruded into the door knob and made itself its own keyhole. Light ripples formed once it entered the hole and _CLICK_. The door automatically opened and the ray of light disappeared into smaller orbs of light.

"Shall we?" Master Eraqus nodded towards his apprentices again and continued to go on inside. Anie and Ventus nodded towards each other and quickly followed behind the Master. As they got inside, both were surprised and astonished by how much space there was. Not only that, but the whole room was white from head to toe.

"Tell me, what do you two feel when you're in here?" Master Eraqus asked.

"Other than feeling complete emptiness… It makes me feel a bit stronger, somehow." Anie replied, her head facing upwards as she took slow steps.

"Yeah… Like I can concentrate a kind of power in my heart." Ventus added on as he gently touches the center of his chest and nodded lightly.

"I… I can't really explain it. But it's both a feeling of fear and courage." Anie paused, then turning towards Ventus and Master Eraqus. "Is this a place where our hearts are reacting to the most?" She asked.

"Kind of." The Master paused, and then turned his backs against the young apprentices. "This place may seem like an ordinary, white room… But it holds such a strange power. These white walls make you think of your world in a different perspective." He raised one hand, gesturing a demonstration. "One, where you think of your values and choices that brings you toward the light." Then he raised another hand. "And another one where your choices lead you toward the darkness." He brought down his demonstration and turned around to face his apprentices.

"As a Keyblade wielder, you must be aware of your feelings as well as your decisions. It is important that you keep a courageous heart- don't let fear take it over. If you ever become scared of the risks you take as a Keyblade wielder, you have to remember that if you conquer the fear you can conquer any obstacle that you might be dragged upon." He paused again, seeing as his students' expressions were both confused and a bit frightened by the thought. He walked in between them, and just as he was about to leave the room, he placed both of his hands on one of their shoulders.

"I know this might be too much to take in, but I know you who will make the right decisions. I've seen you two fight, and both of you have the drive to take on the fear in your hearts. Take a risk- don't be afraid." He patted both of their shoulders and walked to the side of the room.

"B-But… What if the fear is too overwhelming…?" Anie spoke out, her worried feelings shown in both her shaken voice and her furrowed expression.

"Don't let it happen. You need to have the willpower to stop it from spreading into the deepest part of your heart."

"Yeah, Anie. Don't make room for doubt. I believe in you… Everyone here believes in you, and we're all here to help you." Ventus added in.

Anie turned towards Ventus, seeing his gentle smile to her. She could only smile back and nod. Instead of fear overwhelming her heart, she could feel such warmth replacing it. She turned to the back of the room, hoping to see Master Eraqus there too. But once she turned back, he was already gone.

"H-Huh? Where did he go?" Anie asked, turning her head back and forth and around the whole room. She walked towards the huge wooden door and started shaking the door knob.

"I have no idea…" Ventus replied, a bit confused himself. "Do you have any idea what we're supposed to do in here?"

"I was about to ask you that… You know why?" Anie asked, who stood in front of the only exit out of this room.

"W-Why?" Ventus hesitantly asked, his brow suspiciously raised.

"…Because we're locked in here." She turned her head, panic raising in her veins.


	7. Courage & Faith

Author's Note: I'm sorry for the late post! I've been busy lately… But anyway, I'm finally done playing Birth By Sleep (yay!). I just need to get the secret ending… But other than that, I got the basic story now! 8D But please bear with the story… since I started it out without really knowing what BBS was about. Haha. Anyway, please enjoy!

"**Ven was always a special friend to me. He was always so kind, and so forgiving… Why did it have to end up this way? I search and search everywhere… But no matter what I do, I can't find him. **_**Anywhere**_**. I wish I could have told him how I felt before he left- Before **_**I**_** left."**

"W-We're locked in here…? What do you mean?" Ventus asked nervously, stepping closer to Anie. She paused to think for a bit, then looked back at Ventus.

"I meant exactly what I said… We're… Locked in from the outside." Anie replied, rather with a curious tone. She looked up at the door's height, and then back at the door knob. "The only way to get out is to use a key…"

"But, neither of us can wield a Keyblade yet…" Ventus added, a slight frown shown on his young features. A frown soon found its way towards Anie too. She let out a sigh and gently rubbed her temples.

"What are we gonna do, Ven?" Anie asked, as her pinkish lips formed a pout. "_Why would Master Eraqus keep us locked in here? Are we supposed to find our 'inner strength' or something?_" Anie thought as she slouched a little. Then, she began thinking about some possibilities to her answers. Since this place _is_ giving a kind of reaction to both Anie's and Ventus' hearts, could it be that their powers would awaken? Although Anie just started training, she felt ready to take on anything. She hesitantly reached out her hand, and Ventus watched her doing so.

"...What are you doing?" Ventus asked, raising a brow. Anie furrowed her brows and concentrated on her hand.

"I'm trying to summon a Keyblade…" She replied as she kept her eyes on the back of her hand. "_Concentrate Anie… You can do this…!_" She told herself, furrowing her brows some more. Ventus just watched her, and wondered if he could do it too. He reached out his hand as well and focused his eyes on his hand. Both of them might have looked a little ridiculous, but both were determined to do whatever it takes to summon a Keyblade.

It took numerous amounts of times, but little orbs of light had already appeared, but not in front of Anie. In Ventus' palm, orbs of light gathered and quickly revealed a Keyblade in his hand. Anie couldn't help but to look excited and surprised, but also a little jealous. She gaped her mouth into a perfect 'O' and slowly brought her hand down. She got closer to Ventus and examined his backwards keyblade.

"You're really talented, I'll give ya that." Anie commented as a sad pout formed on her somewhat distraught face. Ventus noticed her disappointment immediately. He averted his gaze for a moment, then looked back to Anie.

"…I… knew I wasn't _that_ qualified to be a Keyblade wielder after all. I only _seemed_ like it…" Anie continued as sadness was clearly identified in her voice.

"Don't say that, Anie. You know, as well as everyone else here, that you have what it takes to be a Keyblade master." Still holding onto his Keyblade, he brought his hand down and furrowed his brows as well. He looked at her while she looked towards the huge door.

"…What if all of that was just an act? What if I'm only acting strong so I can cover up how much I'm scared of the world? Y-You see? I'm not as strong as you think I am!" Anie shook her head, letting her dark blue locks sway side to side as she squints her eyes. She lowered her head. "Now I'm not even sure… If I can prove to myself that I can do this anymore…" She spoke softly. Ventus pressed his lips together and gently grabbed Anie's shoulders and shook her a bit.

"You _can_ do this, okay? This is all just a test to see if you can keep a courageous heart. You _are_ courageous, but you're letting the temptation of fear crawl in. You can't… You're not like that, Anie." He paused, watching Anie's head lower a little more. He tilted his head a little to try to see Anie's face.

"I know that for a fact… That when I met you, I… Er…" Ventus paused, embarrassingly looked away for a moment, and then blinked to look back at Anie. "Th-There was something about you… That made me feel at ease. You made me feel less afraid to try new things… to open myself up to you, Aqua, and Terra. That, I think… is pretty courageous." He laughed embarrassingly. Both his and Anie's face were getting a little red.

"Don't you see? You _do_ have a courageous heart. Don't let doubt have you think you don't have one, because you do. It makes you the person that you are… And the person you are… Makes me feel warm inside…" Ventus' face was almost completely covered in a rosy color. Still holding Anie, his slight shivering was soon transported to her. "C-Can I see your hand?" He asked hesitantly, offering his hand. Anie nervously looked up at him with her big, teal eyes, only to see that he was looking away nervously. She hesitantly offered her hand. The next thing she knew, Ventus placed one of his hands below her's, and the other with his Keyblade on top.

"You do have what it takes to become a Keyblade Master. You can't give up… Not now." Placing the handle on Anie's palm, Ventus gently curled her fingers around it. He kept his hands on hers for a few moments, then finally looked back to her mesmerizing eyes with his own. He had an awkward, but sweet smile. He slowly let his hands go and took a step back. Anie stared at him, and then stared at the Keyblade. Both waited in awkward silence for about 30 seconds until Anie finally realized something.

"See? What should have happened is that the Keyblade would immediately come back to me. But… You've been holding that for a while. The Keyblade has chosen you to be one of the wielders, Anie." Ventus smiled warmly and shrugged. Then, a slight excitement was seen in Anie's eyes again. She passed the Keyblade back to Ventus, the turned to side with her hand reached out. She concentrated, but not as hard and scared as before. Just like that, orbs of light were gathered at her palms too and a Keyblade appeared in her hands. It was different from Ventus', having a cross-like shape as the blade. A smile was slowly forming on Anie's face. She immediately looked at Ventus, who was also smiling. A sudden feeling of happiness urged her to trot towards Ventus.

Anie embraced him with a tight, but tender hug. "I-I'm happy that you're my friend… A-At least you can deal with my weird mood swings." Anie chuckled. "But seriously… You're the only friend who has been nothing but kind to me. Thank you, Ven…" She spoke softly, resting her head on his shoulder for just a swift moment. Stunned and completely blushing, Ventus only patted her back in return. She let go immediately after she had said that, and cleared her throat. "W-Well…" She twirled around, hiding her crimson-covered face.

"A-Aheemm… We should, um, probably…" Ventus, too, turned around to hide his blushing face.

"We should unlock this door, right?" Anie continued, taking a shy glance at Ventus. He did the same and nodded. Almost in sync, both of them summoned their Keyblades as they reached out their hands. Both of them looked at each other, then back-to-back they pointed their Keyblades towards the door. A ray of light shot through both weapons and a ripple of light appeared in and out of the keyhole. _CLICK_. The door had unlocked.

Anie and Ventus looked at each other with a grin on both of their faces. They ran towards the door. Anie was the one who turned the knob and finally opened the door.

"Good job, you two."

"H-Huh?" Anie looked behind the door and saw Master Eraqus with a straight posture. Freaking out for a moment, Anie quickly straightened her own back and nodded vigorously. "Th-Thank you, sir."

"Ah, Master Eraqus. Were you waiting for us this whole time?" Ventus asked, popping his head behind Anie.

"That must have taken a long time, huh?" Anie blurted out once again, and quickly covered her mouth.

"Yes, It did take a bit longer than usual…" He paused, only to form a light grin on his face. "…But I am glad that the both of you pulled through."

Anie and Ventus had a moment of silence, mostly Anie who was overwhelmingly happy to be praised of her achievement. "Ha… Hahahahaha!" She started to laugh, and soon after Ventus had join in the happiness.

"Well, then. Shall we celebrate with a delicious dinner?" Master Eraqus gestured his way toward the end of the corridor. Both Anie and Ventus nodded, still laughing their joy off.

"Oh, I almost forgot." The Master summoned his Keyblade in a second and pointed it at the massive door. Anie and Ventus watched as their Master locked the door again. He turned towards them with a gentle smile. "We don't want any intruders there while we're eating, right?" Without another word, he walked down the corridor.

"Aaaagh! C'mon, Ven! Let's eat! I'm staaaarving!" Anie's voice echoed throughout the corridor as she stretched her arms up with a loud yawn. She turned around and started following Master Eraqus.

"…A-Anie…" Ventus spoke hesitantly. Anie turned her head and looked at Ventus from the corner of her eye.

"Uh… Y-Yeah? What's up?" She turned her whole body around and tilted her head to the side. Ventus only looked at her for a split second and already became flustered with rosy cheeks. Hinting his hesitance, she quickly turned around again- her cheeks even more crimson in color than his. Remembering her sudden hug towards him made her feel even more embarrassed and ridiculous; it even made her stomach growl even louder. A long sigh escaped through her lips as she twirled around once again and stomped her way towards Ventus. He flinched slightly when he saw her stomp towards him. It was only to realize that she had grabbed his hand and gently tugged his arm.

"I-I'm hungry… Can we hurry up?" She lowered her head, covering her flustered face again. Averting his gaze again, Ventus nodded and cleared his throat.

"Y-Yeah. I-I'm kinda hungry too."

Both new Keyblade wielders, hand in hand, walked down the corridor towards a new beginning.


End file.
